Retirement Benefit Plans , Additional Information (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 26, 2019 USD ($) fund	Apr. 27, 2018 USD ($)	Apr. 28, 2017 USD ($)	May 01, 2019 plan	May 01, 2005 plan
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Cost of retirement benefit plans	$ 539	$ 552	$ 602
Underfunded status of the plan	$ 1,100	942
Special termination benefits, defined contribution plan			4
Cash payments and administrative fees			2
Number of funds in process of liquidation | fund	0
Expense under defined contribution plans	$ 415	374	347
Treasury bond rate of guaranteed rate of return	10 years
Personal Pension Account
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Expense under defined contribution plans	$ 54	56	58
Medtronic Core Contribution
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Expense under defined contribution plans	$ 58	49	45
Partnerships | Minimum
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Range of notice period	45 days
Partnerships | Maximum
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Range of notice period	95 days
Private equity fund
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Private equity funds, unfunded commitments	$ 337
Private equity funds, estimated minimum liquidation period	1 year
Private equity funds, estimated maximum liquidation period	15 years
Real asset investments | Minimum
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Real asset investments, estimated liquidation and redemption period	30 days
Real asset investments | Maximum
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Real asset investments, estimated liquidation and redemption period	10 years
Real estate investments
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Number of funds in process of liquidation | fund	0
U.S.
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Number of new plans created | plan					2
Pension benefits | U.S.
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Underfunded status of the plan	$ 676	541
Special termination benefits, defined benefit plan	0	0	60
Defined benefit plan, future amortization of net actuarial loss	$ 57
Target allocations	100.00%
Employer contributions	$ 93	215
Estimated future employer contributions in next fiscal year	93
Post-retirement benefit plans, net periodic benefit cost (benefit)	100	127	180
Post-retirement benefit plans, benefit obligations	3,404	3,202	3,232
Post-retirement benefit plans, fair value of plan assets	$ 2,728	2,661	2,479
Pension benefits | U.S. | Equity
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Target allocations	49.00%
Pension benefits | U.S. | Debt
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Target allocations	32.00%
Pension benefits | U.S. | Other
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Target allocations	19.00%
Pension benefits | Non-U.S.
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Underfunded status of the plan	$ 423	387
Special termination benefits, defined benefit plan	0	0	0
Defined benefit plan, future amortization of net actuarial loss	13
Employer contributions	78	90
Estimated future employer contributions in next fiscal year	60
Post-retirement benefit plans, net periodic benefit cost (benefit)	41	60	64
Post-retirement benefit plans, benefit obligations	1,832	1,791	1,734
Post-retirement benefit plans, fair value of plan assets	$ 1,409	1,404	1,235
Pension benefits | Non-U.S. | Equity
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Target allocations	38.00%
Pension benefits | Non-U.S. | Debt
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Target allocations	30.00%
Pension benefits | Non-U.S. | Other
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Target allocations	32.00%
Other post-retirement benefits
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Post-retirement benefit plans, net periodic benefit cost (benefit)	$ (17)	(9)	11
Post-retirement benefit plans, benefit obligations	323	317
Post-retirement benefit plans, fair value of plan assets	$ 297	$ 303
Other post-retirement benefits | U.S.
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Special termination benefits, defined benefit plan			7
Cost Synergies
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Incremental defined benefit pension and post-retirement related expenses for employees that accepted voluntary early retirement packages			$ 73
Subsequent Event | Pension benefits | U.S.
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Number of new plans after plan split | plan				2